Chevy’s eyes light up like Christmas morning. “Another suspect! This is getting better by the minute.” She grabs a fresh marker and starts addingMILLIE ASHFORDto the board.
“So we have four suspects,” she announces with satisfaction. “This is shaping up to be a proper murder mystery.”
“Five,” Peyton corrects darkly. “Don’t forget the possibility that one of you did it and you’re all just enjoying watching me squirm.”I would not put it past these witches.
The room falls silent except for the gentle bubble of hot cocoa and the soft jingle of Peggy’s Christmas sweater.
Plot twist,Cricket notes with interest.Peyton suspects the investigators.
The most dangerous part of solving a murder isn’t finding the killer—it’s surviving your own investigation team.
CHAPTER 16
The silence in my tiny cabin stretches like expensive elastic, punctuated only by Cricket’s purring and Rookie’s snoring, after Peyton all but accused everyone else of doing the deadly deed.
The scent of cookies mingles with the lingering aroma of gourmet appetizers and what I’m pretty sure is the smell of impending social disaster.
Christmas lights continue to twinkle overhead with oblivious cheer, casting festive shadows across Chevy’s murder board and the collection of wealthy women who are suddenly realizing they might be having dinner with a killer.
The tension in this room is thick enough to feel with my whiskers,Cricket mewls from the bookshelf.I’ve seen less drama in an alley fight.
Is someone going to finish those evidence eclairs?Rookie asks with a hopeful bark.Because all this tension is making me stress-eat, and those pastries smell like heaven wrapped in butter.
And they do indeed, and I snap one up because of it.
Peyton looks around the room with a smile that can double as a threat. “Well, this has been illuminating. Nothing like being tried, convicted, and sentenced by a jury of my peers over champagne and canapés.”
“The canapés were Henry’s idea,” Tipper says quickly, as if distancing herself from the refreshment choices will somehow absolve her of participating in an amateur tribunal—and maybe from being slaughtered by the killer next.
“At least the refreshments were divine!” Bunny adds, missing the entire point of the conversation.Are we done yet? I’m expecting Nicholas to slide down my chimney at any moment.
Hillary clears her throat. “I still think we should consider hiring professional help. My manicurist solves more mysteries in a week than we do, and she has much better organizational skills.”
“Your manicurist solves mysteries?” Kick asks.
She nods. “You’d be amazed what people confess during a good pedicure.”
Chevy stands near her murder board like a proud parent at a school science fair, apparently oblivious to the fact that her artistic investigation display is making everyone deeply uncomfortable. “Art imitates life, but apparently life imitates murder mysteries better than we thought possible.”
“Life also imitates soap operas,” Peyton says dryly. “Which explains why I’m sitting in a cabin the size of a large closet, surrounded by women discussing my potential guilt while eating homicide-themed appetizers.”
She has a point,Cricket notes.This does seem remarkably similar to my afternoon stories. I just hate that they always endon a cliffhanger. You don’t think tonight will end on a cliffhanger, do you?
I shrug her way, but I have a feeling it will.
I don’t understand why they’re arguing,Rookie gives a soft woof, clearly confused because his biggest concerns involve treat schedules and belly rubs.Can’t they just share the food and be happy? There’s enough for everyone.
Clarabelle lifts a finger. “Now hold on, everybody. We’re all getting a little carried away here. Peyton’s been our friend for years. Just because she had access to Christmas lights doesn’t mean she’s a killer.”
“Thank you,” Peyton says with genuine relief.
“I mean,” Clarabelle continues thoughtfully, “we all had access to Christmas lights. The whole country club is wrapped in them. We may as well be sitting in Santa’s workshop.”
“That’s not helping,” I mutter.
Santa has a workshop?Bunny muses internally, then her mind immediately flits to white noise.
The whole white noise thing would be nature’s way of sparing me from all sorts of things of an inappropriate nature. Leave it to Bunny to muscle her way onto the naughty list.
